Magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Ecuador and killed at least 41 people

Believed to be Ecuador's strongest earthquake in decades, a 7.8 magnitude tremor, struck off the Pacific coast and killed at least 41 people apart from causing damage near the epicenter as well as in the largest city of Guayaquil. As a result, President Rafael Correa has declared a national emergency and has urged the Andean nation's 16 million people to stay calm.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 17 April 2016.

The President cut short his trip to Italy to return home and the authorities have urged people to evacuate coastal areas because of fear of rising tides. Therefore, alarmed residents streamed into the streets of the highland capital Quito, hundreds of kilometers away, and other towns across the nation.
The government has indicated that the death toll could rise and that the damages were “serious”, especially in the western coastal areas nearest the quake and in Guayaquil. It was the strongest quake to have hit the country since 1979 and had struck early evening at a depth of 20-Km and its effect was felt all around the country.
The city of Guayaquil is a frequent departure point for foreign tourists who want to visit the Galapagos islands made famous by Charles Darwin.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

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